Device for forming loops on wire



April 26, 1960 H. J; HUBER Er 2,934,100

DEVICE FOR FORMING LOOPS ON WIRE Filed Nov. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVM'DRS':

{Mil ow- April 26, 1960 HUBER ET AL 2,934,100

DEVICE FOR FORMING LOOPS ON WIRE Filed Nov. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G 4 H6. 5 F/G. 6

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(Mi/KM United States Patent DEVICE FOR FORMING LOOPS ON WIRE Henry J. Huber and Karl E. Korn, Trenton, NJ., assignors to United States Research Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 23, 1954, Serial No. 470,634 3 Claims. (Cl. 140-102) This invention relates to a new and improved device for forming loops on wire.

The need for a device which will form loops on wire is well known. Previous devices have been either too complex for low cost manufacture, or too cumbersome to operate or both, especially for use as a hand tool. Electricians and industrial wiremen who spend large portions of their time fastening wires to terminals or screwsare especially benefited by the invention. For example, one present method for fastening electrical wires to terminals is to use intermediate stamped terminal pieces which are mechanically fastened to the wire and which are shaped to allow juncture to a screw. Use of the invention eliminates this intermediate stamping, and forms the end of the wire itself into a loop, accomplishing the same'result in a simpler, less expensive and adequate manner. In the case where electricityfiows in the wire and a mechanically fastened stamping is used, the number of electrical contact resistances between the wire and the screw is two, whereas if this intermediate stamping can be eliminated, the number of contact resistances can be decreased to only one. One of the two contact resistances can also be eleminated by soldering the stamping to the wire, but this is a relatively costly operation. The desirability of having the end of the wire itself formed in such a manner as to be readily fastenable to a screw or other-similar terminal is therefore clearly evident.

Previous devices for performing such an operation have been large, cumbersome, complex or costly to manuf-acture. They have-contained morethan one rotating member, often with more than one forming projection thereon. They have contained kinematically complex override-type mechanisms rather than highly desirable kinematically constrained mechanisms. When one advantage, such as simplicity of the tool has been obtained, simplicity of operation, rapidity of operation, size, or light weight has'been sacrificed. Devices with many sliding motions or rotating parts with movable pivots, or of such a character as to sacrifice other advantages, have heretofore been required to form loops on wire. A lightweight inexpensive and simple tool in the general shape of a pair of pliers and one which will perform the bending operation with a very small physical effort is highly desirable.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a lightweight device for forming loops on wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple one-hand operable device for forming loops on wire, having a size and shape permitting easy carrying in the pocket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple inexpensive device which can produce a centered loop on the end of a wire, without repositioning of the wire during looping.

A salient feature is the ability of the device to produce loops without clamping the end of the wire. The reason that no clamping is needed is that the invention bends the loop in such a manner that axial pulling on the wire 2,934,100 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 itself is overcome by friction. This will become more evident in the subsequent description.

Another salient feature of the invention is a single wireforming projection on a single rotatable member. All of the bending is performed by the aforesaid projection, this in spite of the fact that the wire is not clamped during forming. The loop on the end of the wire can be produced by one continuous movement of this single wire forming projection in a circle arc. The centered loop thus produced differs from the originally straight wire in that it has been bent nearly in one angular direction and also nearly 360 in the opposite angular direction. This feature is of'great value when low cost manufacture of the invention is considered.

Another salient feature of the invention is its utter simplicity. There are only three differently moving functional assemblies. Intermittent movements have been entirely eliminated. I

Another salient feature of the invention is that it is an all-pivoted device. No sliding movements requiring accurately machined straight surfaces and corresponding constraining members are utilized. The feature is of tremendous value in terms of low cost manufacture of the invention.

Still another salient feature of the device is its long slender contour, enablingv easy. carrying in the pocket.

Another feature of the invention is that loop forming is accomplished with an efiicient bending type of action as opposed to punch and die type forming, resulting in that ease of operation which is so necessary in the event of operation with power supplied by the human hand. These and other features and objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following description and appended claims, together with the accompanying drawings.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a typical form of the device for forming loops on wire shown in the open position with a straight wire inserted prior to the looping operation.

Fig. 2 is atop view of the upper jaw of the device illustrated in Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a rear view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are front views of the device illustrated in Fig. 1 showing the elements for forming loops acting on the wire at different positions of the loop forming operation, and showing respectively the open position with the straight wire inserted, the position at the end of the loop forming operation, and the position for obtaining a centered loop on the wire.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate rotatable member showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a front view similar to Fig. 6 showing a modified form of the invention.

The same reference numbers are applied to the corresponding parts throughout the views.

In that form of the invention shown for purposes of illustration in Fig. 1, the device embodies two relatively angularly movable handle members 10 and 11 and a rotatable member 12 mounted on the jaw 13 of movable handle member 10 and actuated from the jaw 14 of the other movable handle member 11 for forming the loop on the end 15 of the wire 16.

Movable handle member 11 is comprised of jaw 14 and handle 17 with driving gear segment 18, which actuates rotatable member 12, attached to jaw 14 by means of rivets 19. Movable handle member 11 is pivoted on pin 20, pin 20 being rigidly mounted on movable handle member 10.

Movable handle member 10 is comprised of jaw 13, pin 20, handle 21 and'side plate 22 attached to jaw 13 the device.

pin 25 about which the wire loop is bent, the anvil pin 26 which provides a reaction support during the wire bending operation, and wirestop 27 which gages the proper length of insertion of'the end 15 of the wife I 16 into the device, all extend partially into the space between side plate 22 and reduced section 24'of jaw 13. The rotatable member 12 is pivoted in the reduced section24 of jaw 13 and is comprised of the driving plate 28, wire forming projection29, a journalisha'ft 30 and'a pinion gear 31. 'Driving plate 28 and pinion gear 31 are rigidly mounted on the ends of journal shaft 30 and driving plate 28 supports wireforrning projection 29. The axisof rotation of the rotatablemember' 12 is substantially parallel to the axis of center pin 25. The rotatable member 12 is rotated by the engagement of the driving gearsegm'ent18 on'the'pini'on gear 31" when the movable handle members 10 and 11 are pivoted toward or away from .one another. The rotation of the pinion gear 31 is transmitted through the journal shaft 30 to the driving plate, 28 and. the wire forming projection 29. The driving plate 28 and the wire forming projection 29 are in the space between reduced section24 and side plate22 with the driving plate 28 lying next to the reduced section 24 and with the wire forming projection 29 extending from the driving plate 28 to ward side plate 22 with a small clearance between the end of wire'forming projection 29 and 'side' plate 22, as shown in Fig. 2;

Sufficient clearance is allowed between the end of center pin 25 and the face'fof driving plate 28 so. that 'a wire loop can be slid ofi the center pin 25 and removed from Referring to Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, the operation of the device for forming loops on' the end of wires starts with the device in open position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The end of wire 16 is inserted into the passage formed by side plate 22, center pin 25, anvil pin 26 and wire forming projection 29 until the end 15 of the wire 16 reaches wire stop 27. Handles 17 and 21 are then moved toward each other which causes rotation of pinion gear 31 by the driving gear segment 18. The rotation of pinion gear 31 causes the wire fo'rn'iing projection 29 to move around the center pin 25 and bend the 'erid :15 of the wire 16 around the center p'in25. Friction between the end 15 of the wire 16'and the pins, center pin 25 and anvil pin 26, prevent the end 15 of the wir'eflfi from being drawn into the device by action of the wire forming projection 29 on the end 15 of the wire 16. When the motion of the wire forming projection 29 brings the end 15 of the wire 16 to the position shown in Fig. 5, an off-center loop 15a has been formed in the end of the wire 16. Continuation of the motion of the wire forming projection 29 to the position'shown 'in Fig. 6 puts a reverse bend in the end 15 of the wire 16 by bending it over the anvil pin 26 and completes the for mation of a centered loop 15b on the end 15 ofrthe wire 16. Handles 1 7 and 21 are then moved apart until all mechanical partsof the device are in the open position and the centeredwire loop 15b, is slid off the endof center pin 25 and removed from the'de'vice. Bending can be stopped at the condition shown in Fig. 5 or at"any other desired position;

As shown in Fig. 1 the device can be held in the open position by means of a compression spring 32 acting be tween the handles 17 and 21. The endsof the spring are guided by projections33 and '34 of handles'17 and 21 respectively. When not'in use, the device can be held in the closed position by hooking latch 35, which is mounted on handle 21, onto handle '17.

Other forms of the inventionwill occur to those skilled in theart. One such modificationisishown iriFig, 72in;

which the driving plate 28 has been modified by the addition of outer guide 36 and of raised face sector 37. Outer guide 36 provides a more definite passage for the proper insertion and location of the end 15 of the wire 16, allowing removal of the loop over the center. pin 25 by a slight angular n qve nent of the wire 16. Face 38 of raised face sector 37 cooperates with the inner surface of side plate 22 to 'forma set of'walls preventing any substantial movement of the end 15 ofthe wire 16 normal to the plane of forming during the-forming operation. The raised face sector37 is contoured is such a shape as to provide clearance for sliding a formed Wire. 91112 t e en er pin 2 wh n; hedevicefor. forming loops on wire is in the open position.

For certain particular-applications of the invention, it may be desirable to construct a variation of the device with the axis of rotation of the rotatable member 12 coincident with, parallel to, and somewhat non parallel to the axis of the center pin 25. v

The devicecan be used to form other than circular loops; for example hexagonahrectangular or non-symmetrical loops, by a change in the geometries of the center pin, anvil pin, and wireforrning projection. The use of tapered pins and projections represent other modifications of the invention which allow the formation of various sizeloops requiring merely. aspecial wire guiding device.

Still another variation is a construction which provides for an undercut center pin 3 9 ,as shown in Fig 8. This modification decreases the tendencyfor binding of the wireffforrning projection 29 onthe end 15 of the ,wire 16 at theend of .the forming operation,

Partial loops can also be forrried on the end ofwire by not inserting theend 15 of the wire 16 into -the device to thelfull 'limitof the wire stop 27, or by use of a stop especially designed-for this purpose.

In addition toforming loops on or of insulated, or

uninsulated wire, single strand orrnultistrand wire, or

solder-dipped multistrand wire, the devicecan for-mloops in the ends ofv any relatively thin elongated shape;

With theforegoing and other objects and features in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in thedetails of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, changesin the precise .embodi nent oi the invent herein r b s ma ems e h us he qo e i W m d fliqut s tt a ro he p i r thein'vention.

"We'clairn i' l. A'wire. forming device comprising twopivotally connected handle members, one of said handle members having a bifurcated headrfo-rmed at the outerend thereof, apair'of spaced jainscarriedby one branch of said head and projectingtoward the other branch of said-head, a rotatablemember carried by said other branch of said headand havingtheaxisof rotation, of said'rotatable member extending substantially along the axis of one of said spaced pins, a wire forming projection mounted eccentrically onsaid rotatable member and projecting to ward said one branch of said head the end of said projection overlapping the ends of said pins whereby said projectionwillbe revolved about said one of said spaced pins uponrotationof said rotatable member to form a loopona wire end inserted betwtifi the pins,-,and means carriedlbythe othen handle member for rotating said rotatable member j 2. A'on e hand operable device for forming aloop on the end of a wire comprising a pair; of handles pivj y qnneeted ;together, apairof pins mounted ,in fixet l positior s adjacent one end-of onerof saidhandles and spaced apart a distance sufiicient to permit. a .wire to .beinserted therebetweema rotatable member. mounted on the latter handle adjacent saidrfixedpinsand having a forming pin thereon projectingintoposition to overlap I Pa r, fixed .p ne nde g e disposed between said fixed pins, said forming pin being movable wtih said member about one of said fixed pins to wrap the end of the wire about the same and form a loop on the end of the wire, and means carried by the other handle and engaging the rotatable member for rotating said member upon relative pivotal movement of said handles.

3. A one hand operable device. for forming a loop on the end of a wire comprising a pair of handles pivotally connected together, a pair of pins mounted in fixed positions adjacent one end of one of said handles and spaced apart a distance sufiicient to permit a wire to be inserted therebetween, a rotatable member mounted on the latter handle adjacent said fixed pins and having a forming pin thereon projecting into position to overlap the fixed pins and engage a wire disposed between said fixed pins, said forming pin being movable with said member about one of said fixed pins to wrap the end of the wire about the same and to a final position in which it cooperates with the other fixed pin to form a loop on the end of the wire and center the formed loop with respect to the axis of the wire on which the loop is formed, and means carried by the other handle and engaging the rotatable member for rotating said member upon relative pivotal movement of said handles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 468,584 Symonds Feb. 9, 1892 977,633 Jaques Dec. 6, 1910 1,633,248 Geissenhamer et a1 June 21, 1927 2,458,536 Sherman Ian. 11, 1949 2,535,328 Somerville Dec. 26, 1950 2,655,953 Miloche Oct. 20, 1953 

